He kept the speeding offence under wraps due to concern about undermining a Christmas road-toll campaign, but admitted his error to Chief Commissioner Simon Overland.
[4] On 29 December 2014, Lay announced he was resigning as Chief Commissioner due to his wife's illness.
[5] Upon his resignation, Lay was recognised for his contribution to raising awareness of family violence and the destructive attitudes of some men towards women.
[6] The Premier commended Lay for "both his advocacy for the prevention of family violence and in challenging all men to call out inappropriate behaviour against women[7] The Police Minister, Wade Noonan observed that "central to his (Lay's) proud legacy will be his action on Family Violence.
He called men to account for inappropriate behaviour towards women, and his advocacy led to Labor's commitment to establish Australia's first Royal Commission into Family Violence".
[16] In 2017 Lay was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to law enforcement as Chief Commissioner of the Victoria Police, through structural reforms to recruitment, training and deployment, and to social and community leadership.